Unwanted Year End Fireworks

Kuta Hit by Two Fires on Last Weekend of 2013. Four Sent to Local Burn Unit

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(12/30/2013)

On the weekend between Christmas and New Years, Kuta, Bali was plagued by two fires.

On Friday, December 27, 2013 at 11:30 pm, a fire on the second floor of the Tirta Dewi Mart on Jalan Dewi Sartika caused some panic for guests in the adjoining Green Garden Hotel.

The fire that destroyed the mini-mart was contained by firefighters but saw hundreds of guests at the adjacent hotel momentarily evacuated as a precautionary measure.

No injuries were reported in the Tirta Dewi Mart fire.

On Sunday, December 29, 2013, a private home on Jalan Mataram, Gang Kelapa Buntu 4 in Kuta, that also served as the kitchen for a nearby Kuta suckling pig (Babi Guling) restaurant, caught fire resulting in serious injuries and substantial property damage.

A gas tank used by the restaurant reportedly exploded destroying the home and business of Nyoman Suastika. In the blaze four motorcycles were destroyed and four people suffered burn injuries.

The fire started at 6:00 am on Sunday while residents of the structure were busily preparing Babi Guling for that day’s sales. Six staff working in the kitchen smelled leaking gas.

Fearful there might be an explosion, one of the staff cut the electrical power to the building. At the same time, however, two workers were cooking suckling pig over an open fire that ignited the leaking gas.

Four people working near the fire suffered burns over large areas of their bodies before making good their escape from the burning building. The blaze quickly spread to the living area of the small building.

Lost in the fire were four motorcycles and Rp. 40 million (US$3,400) in cash.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 8:00 am.

The injured are Ni Made Sorni (47), I Nyoman Sukarsa (40), I Ketut Nada (40), and Ni Ketut Kusiani (40) are receiving treatment at Bali’s Sanglah General Hospital. The attending physician said the injuries were “grade B” meaning burn wounds are covering between 17% and 35% of their bodies.

The victims have also suffered damage to their respiratory systems.

All remain under intensive care by Sanglah’s General Hospital Burn Center.